An organosulfur or organoselenium polymer can be used in a variety of applications. For example, an organosulfur polymer such as a solid poly(methylene sulfide) having a melting point of about 180.degree. C. or higher can be used in the synthesis of chloromethanesulfonyl chloride. Poly(methylene sulfide), also called polymethanethial, poly(thiomethylene), or polythioformaldehyde, can react with chlorine to produce a sulfonyl chloride which can be used in agriculture chemicals, herbicides, insecticides, or pharmaceuticals.
Poly(methylene sulfide) can be produced by bubbling hydrogen sulfide through aqueous formaldehyde at 20.degree. C. using H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 as catalyst. The polymer can also be produced by reacting methylene chloride with alkali metal sulfide in the presence of methyltrioctylammonium chloride. Although it has been shown that the polymer can be produced by reacting sodium hydrosulfide in ethanol solvent with methylene chloride, it has to be carried out in an anhydrous medium. Addition of water to the solvent (20% water) results in a weight ratio of methylene sulfide trimer to methylene sulfide polymer as high as 3:2.
Therefore, development of an economical and simple process for producing an organosulfur or organoselenium polymer would be a significant contribution to the art.